Magic: The Gathering

[zoobernut]

Commander is great fun. I have built decks in several different ways. Sometimes I choose a color scheme or overall theme for the deck then find a good commander to fit that, like my blue deck built around drawing ridiculous amounts of cards built the deck first then found a good commander for it after wards (the legendary creature that you can tap to draw three cards), or sometimes I start with a commander and build a deck to fit it like my Thraximundar deck which I started with the commander first and built a deck to work with him.

[Hank]

So, where do you guys buy your cards online?

[oldoldman]

If anyone plays on MTGO you should play the cube drafts this weekend. They are ridiculously fun and the EV is actually pretty high if you are decent. I've already gone infinite for the weekend :3

[Krandor]

FNM Dismember foil is delicious, best week possible to go 3-0 since its the only Friday I could make it this month.

And where to buy cards online sort of depends on where you live, assuming shipping time is a concern. West coast I'd recommend card kingdom or Channel Fireball, east coast Troll and Toad or Star City Games. Past that just kind of comparison shop, prices vary shop to shop.

[Myrrh_Quetz]

Anyone here play commander? It's pretty big at my store, so I'm looking to build a deck but don't know how to start. Some people were telling me to build Riku since I have the manabase for it since I play RUG in Legacy, but his abilities seem kind of boring. Is Jhoira any fun?

I only have one Commander Deck because I'm lazy and getting all the proper cards for a good one is a bitch but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy my current one. I run Teeg as my General and have a aggro deck that tries to get out Kaldra Tron with Stonehewer Giant and various other equipment with Teeg out.

Make Teeg indestructible and untargetable and shit is just hilarious.

[Xerlic]

Commander is great fun. I have built decks in several different ways. Sometimes I choose a color scheme or overall theme for the deck then find a good commander to fit that, like my blue deck built around drawing ridiculous amounts of cards built the deck first then found a good commander for it after wards (the legendary creature that you can tap to draw three cards), or sometimes I start with a commander and build a deck to fit it like my Thraximundar deck which I started with the commander first and built a deck to work with him.

Yeah, this is the problem I'm having. Approaching Commander is so strange to me since the card pool is so deep and you're limited to one ofs. The constructed player in me just doesn't get how any deck is supposed to be consistent. I think I'll work on Jhoira (fatties, time walks, and removing suspend counters) and just see how it goes from there.

FNM Dismember foil is delicious, best week possible to go 3-0 since its the only Friday I could make it this month.

3-0'd myself. Cracked a Sorin from my first prize pack, too. Then I entered an 8 person single elim for a box and scrubbed out in the first round. I should have stopped while I was ahead. :/

[Krandor]

Last week I had a pack of Garruk Relentless and Geist of Saint Traft. Almost made me wish I hadn't been going werewolf at that point cause I really didn't want to feed anyone a Geist, even though Garruk won me 2 games by himself.

[finalwolf]

Detritivore loves a Jhoira commander. If Detritivore is kept suspended the entire game, can really piss off people. rest of the deck will vary from person's playstyle to other, unblockable+shroud Blightsteel, mass burns and bouncing. Hurting their manabase seems to be the main focus of Jhoira commander decks.

some good cards for Jhoira:
Paradox Haze
Parallax Tide

Was amused, I play a Riku deck and find it great.

[oldoldman]

You use Gaddock Teeg as your general? I'm sure everyone loves playing with you...

[Marajade]

You use Gaddock Teeg as your general? I'm sure everyone loves playing with you...

I do while playing Slivers. No one can stop me anymore!

[oldoldman]

That's because Gaddock Teeg is a horrible Commander that makes a format that is supposed to be about having fun not fun at all.

[Qalbert]

think these are new, if not, sorry.

[Weltall]

Mono red just can't afford a dead card in opening hard. I see the Miracle card as a 2-of in red beatdown, if it ever comes back.

[Cantih]

MISEAPALOOZA

Sigarda, YES
Mythic, FUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOU

[Nama]

Sigarda looks good for edh and maybe standard playable after rotation. Sigarda + darksteel plate = luls. Thunderous wrath makes me excited for other miracle cards but like Weltall said its a dead card opening hand so mono red will have a tough time fitting it in. I like that some of the mechanics are making it in from the previous set since they confirmed flashback and flips are gone. Undying is pretty awesome and cool to see more of it and it makes exiling more relevant.

[miokomioko]

Soulbond = awkwarrrrd

I am not a fan.

[Cantih]

Soulbond = awkwarrrrd

I am not a fan.

Well, it depends on if they all follow that format.
Consider the possibility of a black or red soulbond creature, where the effect happens when the bonded creature leaves play. (They actually gave up some opportunity by requiring "as long as you control both of them", imagine if opponent creatures were valid targets. It could be both mechanically and flavorfully awesome.)

Also note. "You may pair this creature ... when either enters the battlefield". Good flexibility, you can use it when you cast it, or when you cast something else.
And if I read that right... bonded critter gets axed? Just drop a new one, I see no wording limiting anything other than bonds at the same time.
In some cases, it may make the bonding creature a bigger threat than the bonded (which could be a nasty threat in it's own right), making the bonder an ablative defense.

It's like some kind of hybrid equipment/creature enchantment creature kind of thing.

[Tomiko]

Mono red just can't afford a dead card in opening hard. I see the Miracle card as a 2-of in red beatdown, if it ever comes back.

I wouldn't be surprised to see it as a 4 of in UR Delver in Legacy due to Brainstorm.

I could see Sigarda as a 1 of in Maverick as well since you can GSZ for it. Not too hard to get the mana with Hierarchs and Cradle. Hexproof on a 5/5 flier seems pretty nice for that deck.

Soulbond is just their attempt at fixing Banding it seems.


As for Commander I have a bunch of decks built. Some of my favourites:

Animar - Aggro/Combo. Not too much focus on the combo aspect, but its there if/when I want it.

Xiahou Dhun - It changes depending on my mood, currently set as MBC. Phage seems to be my main kill condition used.

Scion of the Ur-Dragon - Basically Dragon Combo (Worldgorger Dragon + Animate Dead/Dance of the Dead/Necromancy). Can also beat down with General.

Teneb, the Harvester - Wraths and Reanimation. Desolation Angel with kicker usually seals the game.

Azami - Built this one recently from Adam Barnello's list with a few changes. Pretty fun to play.

Pheldagrif - Multiplayer effects. Mostly casual. Also have Mishra built similar but with chaos type effects. Neither one is really meant to win.

One of my favourite cards I use is Natural Affinity. I randomly found out how good it is at comboing while playing Pheldagrif. Main cards I use it with are Elesh Norn, Ixidron & Massacre Wurm.

[Krandor]

Thunderous Wrath will definitely be making its presence felt in any RU decks out there, mono red not so much I think.

Sigarda do want for legacy Reanimator, at least in the sideboard. And Silverblade will be nice once Mirran Crusader rotates out, if not making an immediate presence (3rd turn drop paired with a Champion of the Parish that was buffed by Gather, nasty).

[miokomioko]

Is there any option for playing modern online magic for free? My ladyfriend and I are getting tired of trying to build decks out of the same pool of physical cards, and playing each other online is just so much easier except for the whole needing to buy cards shit.

So, I looked up Apprentice since that was the only thing I knew of, but it seems like it hasn't had a card database/mechanics update since 1999 and we prefer some sets that are a lot more recent than that. I imagine WotC has a swift legal posse ready to pounce on any software out there that removes the purpose of their online client, so I'm not sure if I'm just looking in the wrong place or if there's really no solid option outside of playing with old cards.